Helleborus plant named ‘EPB 210’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘EPB 210’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; uniform, continuous and freely flowering habit; relatively large purple-colored flowers with darker purple-colored spots that are held above the foliar plane on relatively long peduncles; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus X hybridus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘EPB 210’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHelleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus X hybridus andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘EPB 210’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventors in Devon, United Kingdom. The objective ofthe breeding program was to create new freely-flowering Helleborusplants with strong peduncles that hold numerous attractive flowers abovethe foliar plane.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conductedby the Inventors in Devon, United Kingdom on Jan. 3, 2007 of aproprietary seedling selection of Helleborus X hybridus identified ascode designation STK 15Z22, as the female, or seed, parent, notpatented, with a proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus X hybridusidentified as code designation MX1940VC, as the male, or pollen, parent,not patented. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment inDevon, United Kingdom on Jan. 29, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by meristem culture ina controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands sinceOct. 10, 2012, has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborusplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype of the new Helleborus plant may vary somewhat with variationsin environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype of the new Helleborus plant.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘EPB 210’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘EPB 210’ as a new and distinct Helleborusplant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Uniform, continuous and freely flowering habit.    -   3. Relatively large purple-colored flowers with darker        purple-colored spots that are held above the foliar plane on        relatively long peduncles.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are shorter than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus have larger flowers than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus and the female parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection        have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are shorter than plants of the        male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus have shorter peduncles than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have purple-colored flowers without spots.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus xhybridus ‘EPB 32’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,007. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Helleborus differ fromplants of ‘EPB 32’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are more compact than plants of        ‘EPB 32’.    -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Helleborus are slightly larger        than flowers of plants of ‘EPB 32’.    -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus and ‘EPB 32’ differ in flower        color as plants of ‘EPB 32’ have darker purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plantof ‘EPB 210’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the winter in three-litercontainers in an outdoor nursery in Boijl, The Netherlands and undercultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. Duringthe production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 0° C. to 10°C. and night temperatures ranged from −15° C. to 0° C. Plants were oneyear old when the photograph and the description were taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus hybridus ‘EPB 210’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of            Helleborus X hybridus identified as code designation STK            15Z22, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of            Helleborus X hybridus identified as code designation            MX1940VC, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By meristem culture.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at            temperatures about 22° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 to 22 days at            temperatures about 5° C. to 10° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two            months at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fleshy, vigorous; typically white to brown            in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on            substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and            formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of            roots.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and            mounding plant habit with flowers held above the foliar            plane; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 25 cm to 35 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 25 cm to 35 cm.        -   Stems.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture and            luster: Smooth, glabrous; shiny. Color: Close to 146B with            spots, close to 187A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged alternately in a basal rosette;            leaves palmately compound with three to five leaflets per            leaf.        -   Leaflet length.—About 10 cm to 15 cm.        -   Leaflet width.—About 7 cm to 10 cm.        -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate to lanceolate.        -   Leaflet apex.—Acute.        -   Leaflet base.—Acute.        -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate.        -   Leaflet texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous;            leathery; shiny.        -   Leaflet texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous;            leathery; somewhat shiny.        -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to            137A; towards the center, slightly overlain with close to            187B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146A            overlain with close to 187A. Fully expanded leaves, upper            surface: Close to 139A; venation, close to 139C, proximally,            close to 187A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 147A; venation, close to 137B and 187A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 10 cm to 15 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm            to 7 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, developing leaves, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 146A; spots, close to 187A. Color, fully            expanded leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A;            spots, close to N199A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged in            loosely branched cymes; freely flowering habit with            typically about 20 to 30 flowers developing per cyme and up            to 40 flowers developing per cyme in the second year of            growth; flowers facing outwardly and somewhat drooping.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about two            months after planting; plants flower from January until            March in the United Kingdom.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Typically more than two            months; flowers persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 25 cm to 30 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 30 cm to 40 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm to 3 cm. Diameter: About 1            cm to 2 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to N79B.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7 cm to 9 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm to 4 cm.        -   Petals.—None observed; transformed into nectaries.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five arranged in a single            whorl. Length: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 3.5 cm to            4.5 cm. Shape: Ovate to obovate. Apex: Obtuse and            occasionally emarginate. Base: Rounded. Margin: Mostly            entire and occasionally emarginate. Texture and luster,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:            When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to N77D;            spots, close to 79A; color does not change with development.            When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to N77B;            color does not change with development.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 10 cm to 15 cm. Diameter: About 5            mm to 10 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146B; spots,            close to 187A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 4 cm to 10 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm            to 4 mm. Aspect: About 10° from peduncle axis. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146B;            spots, close to 187A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 60.            Filament length: About 1.5 cm to 1.8 cm. Filament color:            Close to 155D slightly tinged with close to 186D. Anther            shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close            to 4B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 4B.            Pistils: Quantity per flower: About five. Pistil length:            About 2.5 cm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close            to 4D. Style length: About 1.5 cm. Style color: Close to            N79C. Ovary color: Close to N79B to N79C.        -   Nectaries.—Quantity per flower: About 10 to 15. Length:            About 5 mm to 8 mm. Width: About 3 mm to 5 mm. Shape:            Funnelform. Color: Close to N144C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Helleborus to date.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed    to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 35° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Helleborus plants to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘EPB 210’ asillustrated and described.